


happy to see you (again)

by slycel



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: M/M, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Dark Continent Arc, background killugon? I think, i should add tags after writing the thing huh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25824565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slycel/pseuds/slycel
Summary: kurapika answers the phone.
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	happy to see you (again)

**Author's Note:**

> I was struck with this idea a day or so after finishing the 2011 anime,, so I decided why not try to get it down in writing. I have no idea how the Dark Continent Arc plays out— some characters might be ooc for this reason but I'll try :,)

Kurapika didn't know what he was doing.

He had taken a seat in that room, the way he did whenever he had the chance to, a few hours before. And then he hadn't left.

The tiled floor was spotless and gleaming—he only polished it during his scarce amounts of free time, but he was pretty much the only person who set foot inside this room. Kurapika tried to keep the whole room as tidy as possible, but it was a struggle. Those eyes watched him the entire time he was cleaning. It was so bad in the beginning that, once, he dragged himself outside and threw up into the trashcan in the hallway. 

Now, he could go for hours scrubbing at the ground.

Slowly, Kurapika lifted his head, forcing his gaze to the eyes placed carefully in the alcove. Ten eyes—five pairs. He felt that familiar twist in his gut, and stared down at the floor once more.

 _I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sorry, so sorry_.

There were more out there, scarlet eyes floating around, exchanging hands in the underground markets. Tucked into briefcases, turned over and examined for authenticity, the casing around them fogged up by someone's breath. 

The thought made Kurapika grip the fabric of his dress pants and bite his tongue, his foot beginning an incessant tapping against the floor. 

He had to get out there and search for the rest. He wasn't going to bring his family back to life by sitting in a dark room and ignoring every non-work call that came his way. He knew that all too well.

But still, Kurapika stayed on his stool, unmoving.

How long since he'd eaten a proper meal, one that couldn't be prepared by sticking it in a microwave for two minutes? He supposed it didn't matter. Eating kept his strength up, so he ate. Food was food. He lost the luxury of being picky years ago. 

_Call your friends_ , a tiny part of his mind, the most rational and kindest part, whispered.

 _No time. Go check on the lead that man sent your way_ , the rest of his brain told him. _If he was right, they'll disappear again_. 

Kurapika squeezed his eyes shut, sure that his head was going to split in two if he continued this way. His frequent headaches were getting worse and worse—the musty air of the room didn't help much, either.

When he was choosing a place to make sure that the eyes wouldn't be stolen (again), he had decided that this church would be the safest bet. The groundskeeper of the garden outside had promised to keep an eye on who entered and who left. And the church was relatively abandoned most of the time. 

His phone vibrated, and he repressed the urge to pick up, instead getting up from his seat. He was eye-level with the canisters now, and he closed his eyes, making a silent promise that he'd get them all back. Every single one, no matter how long it took.

With that silent promise in mind, Kurapika left the room. He shut and locked the door before making his way up the staircase and back out into open air, the brightness of the day making his head pound. He pressed his knuckle into his temples in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure, then let his hand drop when he realized it was futile. He would just live with it.

It was beautiful out. The rest of the buildings nearby were mostly residential, and a few flowerpots were displayed on the windowsill of the apartment building across the street from him, cheerful blues and yellows. People were milling about, laughing with their partners or swinging their children's hands as they walked down the street.

He reached for his phone, just to make sure the incoming call from earlier wasn't Mr. Nostrade.

Deep down, he knew it wouldn't be. He had a sense for these kinds of things, now; somehow, his mind could immediately tell whether a call was Mr. Nostrade or... not.

Still, he drew his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the notification.

 _One new missed call_ , the screen read. _From: Leorio Paradinight._

They were giving up more easily, these days, Kurapika realized, deleting the notification. It used to be dozens of calls, at first. From Leorio as well as Killua and Gon.

Killua and Gon. Kurapika could tell himself otherwise all he wanted, but he really hoped that they were okay. That they found everything they were looking for, and were able to live their lives with the people they loved, doing things they loved.

That tiny, rational part of his brain spoke up again: _Check on them. Make sure they're all right_.

Kurapika could hardly live with himself anymore. He had already resigned himself to the fact that contacting any of his friends would only lead to horrible things for everyone involved.

As he began to head towards the jewelry shop the man had pointed him towards, his phone dinged with three text messages in a row.

He couldn't stop himself from reading it. It was difficult not replying, but it was even harder to keep himself from seeing what they had to say. 

> _Leorio Paradinight: you're probably not getting these since you don't even pick up when i call, but_
> 
> _Leorio Paradinight: gon woke up. i'm so glad_
> 
> _Leorio Paradinight: you had to know he was in the hospital, right? i think i left you a voicemail. and it was televised._

Kurapika froze, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. His confusion quickly overtook his guilt at the first message. A woman pushing a stroller behind him hastily weaved around him to avoid running Kurapika over. He barely registered the concerned glance she threw his way.

Gon was in the hospital? Since when?

And it was televised? Why would it be televised?

Hurriedly, Kurapika ran through the events of the past week. He had been running a job for the Nostrades in Yorknew, carting that brat Neon around her favorite stores as she squealed over a macabre assortment of souvenirs. He'd barely had time to sit down and have a moment of peace. Kurapika was well aware of the benefits of keeping his job as Neon's bodyguard, but he still had to make a conscious effort to avoid blowing up at her.

He hadn't watched any live television in a while; only read a few news articles and sat through Neon's sappy movies when she requested to see them in the hotels they stayed at.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and his gaze shot back to the screen.

> _Leorio Paradinight: we're at the hunter headquarters. i think you'd want to know that gon finally—_

The message preview cut off there, and Kurapika slid his thumb over the screen to expand the notification. His finger slipped, though, as he took a step to the side to let an older man pass, and he tapped on the notification instead.

 _Fuck._ The app opened automatically, and his full (admittedly one-sided) string of messages with Leorio popped up. He quickly scanned the rest of the message: _we're at the hunter headquarters. i think you'd want to know that gon finally met ging. he seemed pretty horrible. but i'm biased._

Immediately, the three dots that showed that Leorio was typing showed on the screen. 

> _Leorio Paradinight: you read my messages. oh my god you read my messsahres_
> 
> _Leorio Paradinight: i kniw you're there, kurapjka_
> 
> _Leorio Paradinight:_ _you're still our friend, okau? we know it's realy bad for you right now but we're all here at the headquarters_
> 
> _Leorio Paradinight: are y ou going to respond_

Kurapika cursed and wiped his hand over his face tiredly. There was no way. He wasn't in the right state of mind. He had to go back to the Nostrades and prepare for their next job in a few days.

But—

Before he could talk himself out of it, Kurapika sent out a message.

> _me: I'll be there as soon as I can._

That overly logical part of his brain protested, as Kurapika knew it was going to do, but the kind part was relieved.

So on that sun-soaked street, surrounded by people living their lives, Kurapika straightened up. He tucked his phone back into the pocket of his black trousers, and smoothed out the front of his stiff suit—Mr. Nostrade insisted on having the bodyguards wear professional clothes while on the job—without waiting for Leorio's reply. And Leorio must have replied, because his phone was buzzing incessantly.

Kurapika ran for the train station, dodging all the pedestrians and paying little attention to the traffic lights.

* * *

It seemed like the train was moving maddeningly slowly, even though Kurapika knew this was the speed it always went at. But really, had there always been so many stops between Yorknew and Swardani? Kurapika had been to Swardani a few times, but never stayed for long—he had only needed to get a few things for Neon or Mr. Nostrade.

He clutched tighter to the handrail, trying to avoid bumping into the knee of the person sitting in front of him. The train car was packed; lots of people were leaving work at this time. 

_Gon_. A picture of the boy was immediately conjured in his head, one of him bright-eyed and smiling, with his signature green outfit. When was the last time he'd seen Gon, face-to-face? Was it Yorknew, for the auction?

The boys had left without a goodbye, while Kurapika was asleep. He understood their reasons completely, even without Leorio's hasty explanation. 

Kurapika was sure he would never regret meeting those three at the Hunter exam. He'd stayed sure of that even when he refused to pick up any calls or respond to any texts, and he was still sure of that even as he swayed on a train car.

He held onto the cool metal of the handrail as if it were a lifeline.

_I don't deserve it. But Gon... please wait for me._

* * *

By the time the train pulled to a stop at the station Kurapika was getting off at, Kurapika's arm was stiff.

He quietly slid through the people blocking his way and stumbled off the train, rolling back his shoulders. He took a second to take in his surroundings—once he located the exit, he ran up the stairs and out onto the busy streets of Swardani. 

He still remembered where the Hunter Headquarters were; he was pretty sure every Hunter had it ingrained into their memory, even if they had never been before. It was one of the tallest buildings in Swardani, as well, and the giant logo wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Kurapika navigated the streets surely while, at the same time, trying to keep to himself. It was a bad idea to get noticed.

Kurapika realized, a few streets away from Headquarters, that he hadn't even informed Mr. Nostrade of his departure from Yorknew: a mistake on his part. If something came up, he'd have to hail a cab, and even then it'd be an hour or so until he made it back to Yorknew. 

It was safe to say, however, that Mr. Nostrade and his daughter had nothing on Gon. He was fully prepared to quit for Gon's sake; if the benefits hadn't been so great, Kurapika thought he would have walked out during the second week. After the first month, he was surprised he'd lasted as long as he did. Slowly, that surprise dulled until his job as a bodyguard was just that—a job. Same as serving tables or doing paperwork. He carried out Mr. Nostrade's orders robotically. 

Those texts and calls from Leorio and the others, they were Kurapika's occasional break from the weight of what he had to do, which seemed to press in on him from all sides. 

He was glad for them. He knew it was stupid, since he never responded, but he was glad that those texts hadn't stopped coming. Kurapika had to admit he could have done a better job showing his appreciation, though. 

Kurapika rounded the corner and craned his neck to stare up at the looming Headquarters. The front doors were shut tight, and no noticeable Hunters were around. That was odd; usually there would have been a few outside, waiting for assignments or looking to talk to a higher-up. The regular people of Swardani were the only ones that walked the street, eyeing Kurapika's strangely formal attire and giving him a wide berth.

 _Was there something going_ _on?_

Just as he was about to go around the building to look for another way in, the doors were flung open, and he was greeted with the sight of a perfectly strange assortment of people: Morel, a Hunter so good that even Kurapika had heard of him, despite Kurapika's general withdrawnness from the outside world; a lady with long, curly dark hair and what looked like a purple crystal set on her forehead; Biscuit Krueger, another top-tier Hunter; Hanzo, the Hunter who had broken Gon's arm during the Hunter exam; a tired-looking man with a cap and glasses, wearing a pressed suit; and Melody. Melody looked taken aback by Kurapika's presence, meeting his gaze with teary but happy eyes. 

Each person took Kurapika's appearance in, with varying amounts of confusion and hostility.

One more person stepped through the doors, tall enough so that his head could be seen even in his current position at the back of the group of people. His glasses were askew, and he was grinning down at someone next to him, someone who could only be—

" _Kurapika!"_ Gon yelled, and Kurapika knew Gon was smiling even without seeing his face. Sure enough, Morel and Hanzo stepped to the side so a beaming Gon could run past, throwing himself at Kurapika. 

The only thing that Kurapika could register as he hastily caught the boy in his arms was that Gon wasn't in his trademark, all-green outfit, instead befitted in what could only be a hospital-issued shirt and pants. His heart felt heavy; Gon had been fighting for his life while Kurapika was trying to avoid any and all communication from him and the others. 

"I'm sorry I didn't come see you sooner," Kurapika whispered, and Gon squeezed him tighter, clinging onto him like a koala.

"I knew you were busy," Gon said brightly. "And I turned out alright, so it's okay! It's Leorio that was really worried."

Despite himself, Kurapika smiled, remembering what it was like to be with Gon and Leorio and Killua all day, instead of stuck in a suit he hated and stuck being polite to a girl he hated even more. 

"Your hair grew longer," Gon observed, after Kurapika set him down as gently as possible, even though he didn't look to have any surface injuries anymore. 

"Yours looks the same," Kurapika teased, but as he stepped back to look over Gon, he could see the difference in how the younger boy held himself, how his eyes still sparkled but looked deeper and more knowing than they had before.

It was obvious Gon had gone through something terrible. Kurapika could only hope he hadn't been alone—but surely not. Killua wouldn't have left a friend behind. 

Gon looked past his shoulder, and Kurapika remembered that they had an audience.

One particular member of said audience looked to have fresh tears falling down his face, staring dumbly at Kurapika.

"Hello, Leorio," Kurapika said, unable to hold back another genuine smile.

"Kura—Kura _pika_ ," Leorio choked out, his voice catching on the word. "You're so stupid. What the hell? You're so stupid."

Then he was at the front of the crowd, throwing his arms around Kurapika, squeezing the shorter boy against his chest, and Gon was bouncing up and down excitedly.

"I really missed you, you know?" Leorio said, and Kurapika was so lost for words—he'd thought that he had lost the title of "friend" a long time ago—that he couldn't even say " _I missed you_ " back.

Leorio pulled away, keeping both hands on Kurapika's shoulders and looking him over the way Kurapika had looked at Gon earlier. Kurapika held back a laugh, feeling more right than he had in weeks.

"And you're okay?" Leorio gave him a gentle shake. "Please say something. Don't tell me you won't reply even when you're right in front of me." He looked like he was afraid to be hopeful, and that alone made Kurapika feel like he was actually the worst person in the world. 

"I'm fine," Kurapika said finally, meeting Leorio's eyes. "And _you're_ okay?"

"I'm okay," Leorio answered, releasing Kurapika to hastily wipe away his tears. "I'm probably the most okay person here. I've just been studying for my tests, all day, every day... while you're off doing who-knows-what and Gon's off getting himself to the brink of death."

Gon had the good sense to look sheepish when Leorio cut his gaze to him.

 _And Killua_ _?_ Kurapika wanted to ask. He stopped himself just before the words left his mouth, though—he didn't have the right to be worried about his friends, not after his disappearing act.

Instead, Kurapika eyed Gon for a moment. He seemed bright, happy; chatting with Hanzo about something in the circle they had somehow formed in the middle of the sidewalk. Kurapika could tell Leorio was looking at him from the way Leorio's head was turned slightly to the side, but he had more pressing concerns.

After a beat of observation, Kurapika picked up on how Gon was unusually fidgety. Even though he was normally pretty jumpy, like an unstoppable ball of energy, right now Gon was twisting his hands into his shirt. As Kurapika watched, he saw Gon's eyes flick away from Hanzo while the other Hunter was talking, his gaze searching the sidewalk beyond their circle. Gon was the type of person to give someone his undivided attention whenever a conversation was happening; to be so distracted was a sign.

A sign that Gon didn't know where Killua was. Either that, or that Gon knew, but was worried for him. 

"I can't believe you're really here," Leorio said, and Kurapika dragged himself away from thoughts of dangerous white-haired boys to look up at Leorio.

"I understand why you'd think that," Kurapika said heavily. "Again, I'm sorry. It was selfish to not respond to any of you guys."

"At least you kept your brains." Leorio grinned, poking Kurapika lightheartedly enough so that Kurapika didn't flinch back instinctively. "Will we get to know what you've been up to? Or is that classified information?"

For a wild, brief moment, and without knowing exactly why, Kurapika felt wired at Leorio's words. He could _quit_. Kurapika could smash the phone Mr. Nostrade had given him—it most definitely had some sort of tracking app on it—on the sidewalk. He could tear off his suit and kick off his stupid dress shoes and burn the whole outfit in a fire. And maybe then he'd have enough time to devote to catching up with Leorio and the others.

Besides his devotion to making sure his family could rest easy, what was stopping him?

The adrenaline wore off all at once, and Kurapika felt sadder than he was before he'd contacted Leorio.

"I didn't mean to press—" Leorio said hurriedly, clearly picking up on how upset Kurapika was. 

Kurapika shook his head. "No, no, I can tell you most of it."

"Kurapika?" Melody spoke up, from across the circle. Her voice was light and kind and made Kurapika feel just a bit better. "I was wondering... you took the train here, right? if you have to go back to the Nostrades today, the trains will stop running to that station soon. They said something about maintenance, I think. We have time to catch the last one, if we hurry."

Leorio was watching him again.

Kurapika tensed, and he felt that pressing weight on his chest again. He couldn't imagine going back to the Nostrades so soon, not after he'd seen Gon's smile (as bright as the sun, he swore), not after he smelled Leorio's cologne.

"I didn't call to inform Mr. Nostrade I was leaving the city," Kurapika said, picking his words carefully. "Did you?"

"I happened to be nearby on business," Melody answered. "Mr. Nostrade had some wares he wanted picked up." Melody put her hand inside her pocket and drew out a small leather bag, grimacing ever so slightly. 

"You should go," Kurapika said, knowing full well this was absolutely the wrong choice to make. Well, the wrong choice to make if he was considering the _professional_ impact, only. Personally, Kurapika wanted to put an arm around Gon and go find Killua. With a little luck, Leorio would be right beside them, keeping them company with his horrid jokes and almost comical irritability.

Melody gave him a small smile, bowing her head. "If things go well, I'll be out of Mr. Nostrade's employment by the end of the month," she said lightly, her eyes twinkling. "I found another lead on my project."

"I see." Kurapika's lips twitched into a half-smile. "I'm happy for you."

She gave him a wave, paused to pat Gon's arm gently and exchange a few quiet words with him, and headed down the sidewalk, stuffing the bag back into her pocket. 

One by one, people started leaving. Hanzo left soon after Melody, mentioning a job in the next town over, while Morel and the man with the cap—Knov, Morel called him—went off to get drinks together. Biscuit (or Bisky, Kurapika supposed) said she had to meet with a friend for an appraisal.

After that, it was just the curly-haired lady, Leorio, Gon, and Kurapika. 

Gon finished his bouncing wave at Bisky, then turned expectantly to Leorio and Kurapika. "Will you both stay in the city?"

"I will," Leorio offered. "I was planning on staying for the night. Kurapika?"

"I'm not going anywhere for the time being, either," he answered, and Kurapika would be lying if he said he didn't feel warmer after he saw Leorio's face light up at his words. 

"How about you, Palm?" Gon asked, directing the question towards the lady. 

She considered his words. "I think Ikalgo and Meleoron were talking about a meet-up today. I'd better get going if I want to make it on time."

Kurapika said an unsure farewell, Leorio gave a hasty goodbye, and Gon supplied a somehow extraordinarily sincere thank-you speech.

And then there were three.

"Um," Gon started, looking a bit sheepish. His face was flushed from the excitement, and it was unlikely that he'd stop smiling for the rest of the day. "Could I borrow your phone, Leorio? I owe Mito-san a very detailed apology call."

Leorio tossed his phone at Gon without hesitation, grinning when the younger boy caught it easily. Both Kurapika and Leorio stepped back, giving Gon some privacy. Even with the added space, they could hear Mito-san's frantic voice crackling through the phone as soon as Gon pressed dial. 

As Gon launched into what sounded like a complete play-by-play of what had happened since the last time he'd been on Whale Island, Leorio shifted uncomfortably.

That was new. Kurapika hoped it wasn't _him_ Leorio was uncomfortable with. 

"Do you have something you need to say?" Kurapika asked, suddenly feeling very out of place. _And rightly so_ , his brain helpfully supplied.

"Did you mean it?" Leorio blurted out, almost before Kurapika was done with his sentence. "When you said you weren't going anywhere."

"I meant it," Kurapika said, straightening out the cuffs of his suit. He studied Leorio's attire as inconspicuously as possible, noting that he still wore the same type of suit and pants he had during the days they'd been together.

He remembered seeing Leorio on the boat the day they had met. His first thought was that it seemed very stupid and very impractical to wear a full-on suit to a mysterious Hunter exam. And then his second thought—which came after Leorio opened his mouth—was that he had just met one of the most infuriating people he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting.

So much had happened; but ultimately, Kurapika had come out of it with Leorio as someone he could call a friend.

Kurapika looked back up at Leorio, who looked like he had lots more he wanted to say, nodding to show that he was still listening.

"Did you..." Leorio began, before he rubbed at his face with a hand, apparently reconsidering something. "Did you find some of them?"

"The eyes?" Kurapika asked, though it was really unnecessary. He went on without waiting for confirmation. "Yes."

Leorio looked sad—not exactly pitying, which was good; Kurapika thought he might have gotten unreasonably angry if Leorio had looked at him with pity. It was awful, he knew, but he never wanted to see Leorio with the expression he'd already encountered so many times.

Also, Leorio's unusual subduedness made Kurapika worried. After his hug earlier, he'd mellowed out a lot. It was a very un-Leorio-like mood. But Kurapika understood what it was like to feel hopeful one moment and too tired the next.

Kurapika reached out and patted Leorio's elbow hesitantly. "Let's sit down."

Leorio's eyes trained on Kurapika's hand, which he pulled back once he'd had his desired effect.

A cursory search of the street they were on revealed that there was a bench on the opposite side of the road from them. Kurapika gave Gon a slight wave to get his attention (Gon had been pacing the length of the sidewalk up and down while he was talking) and pointed at the seating. Once Gon had nodded, Kurapika crossed the street, the clacking of Leorio's dress shoes behind him a reassuring sound. 

Dress shoes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kurapika wondered if everyone dressed up for classes, or if Leorio was just special. 

They sat. None of them spoke. 

Maybe this was a bad idea, coming back.

A woman passed by, talking on the phone with one hand and pushing a baby in a stroller with the other. The baby leaned forward in their seat, eyes wide, staring at Leorio. Leorio, in response, wiggled his fingers in a sort of wave, smiling. Mesmerized, the baby watched the two of them, sticking their head out from under the canopy of the stroller until the mother had gone too far and it was uncomfortable to sit with their head like that.

"How are your studies?" Kurapika asked.

Leorio shrugged, a sigh escaping from his lips. "Fine. The usual. I'm beginning to really miss sleep."

"Do you know if Killua is okay?" he continued. From what he'd learned after being forced to talk to people he despised, didn't know, or didn't really care about, it was safe to turn the topic of conversation towards a common point if you were unsure what to say. Typically, with Neon and her friends and family, that was underground work. Every second Kurapika had to sit and listen to some outrageously rich person's stories about acquiring a new part for their "collection" made Kurapika that much closer to quitting. 

The lack of Killua in this equation really did make Kurapika as anxious as Leorio's quiet, too.

Leorio thought about it. "I got a phone call from Killua's butler," he said quietly, but in a way that showed he was trying to keep something secret. "One of them, anyway. Gotoh. He said Killua was risking his life to help Gon get better."

"It was Killua that helped Gon wake up?"

"From what it sounded like, Killua had something. Or someone. I'm not exactly sure; I handed the phone over to Morel and once they were done he told me that whatever Killua was bringing couldn't be seen by any outsiders at all. They had a lot of Hunters guarding the place that was set up for Killua." Leorio's shoulders dropped as he sank lower into the seat, his head at about the same height as Kurapika's shoulder.

Leorio quickly straightened up as he saw a group of teenagers approaching, tucking his ridiculously long legs under the bench so that no one tripped over them.

"I'm worried about him, honestly," Leorio added. "We've barely had any direct contact with him. Usually only with his butler."

"Killua can take care of himself," Kurapika said, more voicing his thoughts than responding to Leorio. "Still, you're right to be worried. I am—I am too."

"I started to think I was going to go insane from all the worrying," Leorio said lowly, meeting Kurapika's eyes for a brief second. "First you. I was checking the news every day—not that it was likely you'd be on there; I was just trying to gauge where you might be."

Kurapika shook his head, but he felt that same warmth spreading throughout his chest.

"And then there was Gon. You didn't see him, Kurapika, not when he was like... that." In one swift motion, like he'd done it many times before, Leorio pulled his glasses off and rubbed at his temples before pushing his glasses back into place and blinking a few times. "God. You couldn't see his face at all, he was so wrapped up."

There was nothing Kurapika could say. What could he say, in an instance like this?

He looked over his shoulder to make sure Gon was okay. Sometime during the few minutes since they'd sat down, Gon's expression had changed to a somber one. Gon was clutching the phone so tightly, his hand was visibly shaking, even from this distance. 

"And now Killua," Leorio finished, bringing Kurapika's attention back to him. "I think his family is horrible. As if that weren't obvious from our last trip there, though."

Kurapika smiled. "Remember the dog? Mike?"

"No way that was a dog!" Leorio cried vehemently, dropping his head into his hands. An older man gave Leorio a look of enormous disdain as he passed, frowning so that the wrinkles on his face stood out even more. "It was the size of a house! And it had _purple fur_ , Pika. Purple."

Leorio hadn't seemed to notice the nickname he dropped, but it was extraordinarily difficult for Kurapika to keep a straight face.

"Not to mention those testing gates," Leorio said, once he'd managed to pick his head up. "You're a family of elite assassins. You live on a mountain. You _own_ the mountain. And you have a gigantic creature guarding your house. Would you think to install two hundred and fifty-six tons worth of doors? Because I wouldn't."

Kurapika stifled a laugh. "To be fair, the Zoldycks aren't what you'd call normal people."

"No one needs doors like that," Leorio responded passionately, stabbing at the air with one finger. "No one."

"Maybe you're just upset you had to train for so long to open them," Kurapika offered, and dodged Leorio's hand as the latter tried to swat at him.

"If I recall, you weren't doing much better." Leorio tried once more to land a hit before settling back into his side of the bench. He was still fast—Kurapika hadn't expected Leorio to completely drop working out while he was studying, though, so it didn't come as a surprise. "It took you ages to lift a teacup."

"It'd do well to mention that the teacup in question weighed as much as a heavy toddler," Kurapika huffed, and this was _good_. Teasing Leorio was fun, and being teased back was normal. In that moment, he wasn't Neon Nostrade's head bodyguard, and he wasn't an employee of Light Nostrade. He was his regular unemployed self, enjoying the day with Leorio right next to him and Gon only a few yards away, with Killua by his side.

Except Killua wasn't here and Kurapika was, in fact, employed. As much as he hated what he had to do for his job, it was still his job.

"You and that tea," Leorio said, thankfully dragging Kurapika back from gruesome memories of his various missions for the Nostrades. "You sat there for ten minutes, didn't you?"

"Would you rather I went dehydrated?" Kurapika demanded, focusing on Leorio's right shoe. "I bet their water bottles weighed twice as much as those cups."

Leorio laughed a delighted laugh, and Kurapika laughed with him because it was so good to be able to be happy.

"Did you know—did you know I got up to take a piss in the middle of the night," Leorio said in between wheezing breaths, doubling over with another bout of laughter before finishing his sentence. Kurapika could guess what he was going to say, and widened his eyes in horror and amusement.

"I got up to pee in the middle of the night," Leorio managed, once he'd regained his breath, "and that guard, Zebro, he came out of his own bedroom and told me to go put on the weights. Even though I just needed to pee! And then I did, because he wouldn't let me go otherwise, and I shit you not that toilet seat weighed fifty pounds."

Kurapika broke out laughing again, and this time it was hard to stop. Soon, he was clutching at Leorio's shoulder, tears of laughter forming, because a heavy toilet seat and being weighed down as you peed were suddenly the funniest things he'd ever heard of. Leorio was gasping like a dying fish beside him, and every time Kurapika thought he was okay to take a deep breath, he'd see Leorio's face and he'd go into stitches again.

They were attracting quite a few stares now, Kurapika could tell, even with his somewhat tear-blurred vision.

Slowly, slowly, their laughter subsided, and Kurapika released the fistful of Leorio's suit he had grabbed, smoothing it out absentmindedly. Leorio looked down at him, eyes still a little manic but mostly kind and happy, and Kurapika had the feeling that it was going to be okay as he smiled back.

"Leorio! Kurapika!" Gon's voice shouted from across the road. "Can we get food?"

"Well?" Leorio asked, getting up. "You up for lunch? Did you eat yet?"

"I haven't eaten," Kurapika replied, doing the same. "Let's find a restaurant or something. I'd assume Gon would eat anything at this point."

They returned to Gon together, and Gon handed Leorio his phone back with a "thank you!" His eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and Kurapika realized with a start that Gon had been crying. He looked to Leorio to make sure he'd seen it, too, and the cautious look on Leorio's face when he met Kurapika's eyes showed that he had. 

"Anything particular you want to have, Gon?" Kurapika asked lightly, at the same time Leorio asked, "You okay?"

Gon smiled up at them both, nothing on his face betraying any hint of sadness. "I'm okay. I just have a few things I need to do, but I can do them after we eat. Leorio, your school is around here, right? Where's the best place to eat?"

Leorio began to list the various restaurants in the area, explaining what kind of food each served and what he usually got.

Meanwhile, Kurapika thought about how absolutely terrifying Gon was. There were his unnatural instincts from his childhood on Whale Island—the first half of the first part of the Hunter Exam hadn't been a problem for him. Then, there was his unwavering determination. Hadn't he and Killua gone off to play with the Chairman instead of resting like himself and Leorio? Kurapika could still remember how beat up Gon had looked after that, and how even Killua looked vaguely impressed.

And then there was the whole thing after Gon had found out what Illumi had said to Killua. Gon's grip had been tight enough to break bone. 

While Kurapika didn't know the exact details, he had no doubt that Gon had done something mad to achieve whatever goal he had set in mind. Gon was _willing_ to go that far for the people he loved. It was what would make him a formidable enemy.

Yet, watching Gon talk excitedly to Leorio like there was nothing else he'd rather be doing, Kurapika found himself smiling. Because those same things made Gon a wonderful friend.

After knowing the other boy for as long as he had, Kurapika had an idea as to what was on Gon's mind. 

As soon as Leorio and Gon had reached a lull in their conversation, Kurapika spoke.

"Gon," he said. "Are you going to look for Killua?"

"As soon as possible," Gon said firmly, without any hesitation whatsoever. "Right after we eat. I have a feeling he's not alone, too. He's not in trouble, is he? Do you know something?"

Kurapika held Gon's hopeful gaze. "I know about as much as you do. Not alone? What makes you say that?"

"Do you want to come? With me?" Gon bounced up on his toes, completely ignoring Kurapika's question. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, Kurapika wasn't sure. "Killua wouldn't say it, but I think he was worried about you, too, so once we find him he'll probably be glad to see you. And you too, Leorio, we haven't seen you in so long!"

Leorio rubbed at the back of his neck. "I only took off for a couple of days," he said. "And I can only skip classes for so long... I have an exam on Friday, too."

"Oh! It's okay, then, I can go by myself. I'm sure Killua's not far," Gon said confidently. "I just want to see him for a bit."

"No, no, Gon, I'll go with you," Kurapika interjected, avoiding Leorio's shocked expression. "I can put off my work. I don't—"

What was he going to say? _"I don't want to go back to my job,"_ or " _I don't want to leave so soon_ "?

He couldn't quit. He absolutely couldn't. But being back here, being back with Gon and Leorio—even though one was just released from the hospital under very odd circumstances and the other was well on his way to becoming a doctor—made sticking to that path very hard.

"I don't have to be back for a while," Kurapika finished. "I'm sure they can manage. And if they can't, I'll just find a new job."

Kurapika only realized the weight of those words after they had left his mouth. Neon and Mr. Nostrade weren't his only hope of finding the rest of his clan's eyes. They were a new addition to a very old group of mob bosses and underground leaders. Surely there were people with more knowledge of the scarlet eyes and their whereabouts than his current employers. 

And if Kurapika could find them, he might have a greater chance of locating his family's eyes. 

_Shit._ _I was blinded by how quickly I was promoted to head bodyguard,_ Kurapika thought. _I never intended to stay under the Nostrades for this long. They were my entrance to the underground, not my entire ride_.

"—pika!"

Kurapika's head snapped up, meeting the eyes of a confused Gon and Leorio. "Sorry, what?"

"I was just telling Gon that I'd come along, too," Leorio said, stepping out of the way of a passing family of tourists. "You were completely out of it."

"Oh, that's great, we can all go together, then. I just... thought of something," Kurapika said, and he could _see_ it. He could suddenly see a road where he wasn't practically chained to Neon at her father's command, one where he chose where he went and which jobs he took. It was as if something had smashed through a brick wall in Kurapika's mind.

A brick wall painted boldly with "stay with the Nostrades."

"I have a call to make," Kurapika continued, turning his back on Leorio and Gon. "Give me one second."

"Sure?" Gon said, the word lilting like a question. 

Kurapika pulled out his phone and pressed Light Nostrade's contact, unable to stop his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> okay! i have plans for this (kinda)
> 
> i think it'll be around two or three chapters, and it'll most likely end in about the same place the 2011 anime does, except with kurapika and leorio thrown into the mix. i'm not the best at writing romances so it'll probably read more like a "best friends but i also think you're really cute" thing... but who knows not me nope
> 
> thanks for reading! :))


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